Kliff Kingsbury on pro-Steelers crowd: Cardinals ‘have to win more games’
Dec 9, 2019, 1:30 PM | Updated: 4:37 pm
Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers cheer during the second half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 08, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Steelers defeated the Cardinals 23-17. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, Ariz. — Kliff Kingsbury and the Arizona Cardinals prepared for Pittsburgh Steelers fans to converge on State Farm Stadium.
Yellow and black had a clear visible majority over the home team Sunday, and Terrible Towel-bearing fans went home happier than the Birdgang after Arizona fell 23-17.
On Monday, head coach Kliff Kingsbury expressed understanding toward Cardinals fans being outnumbered.
“We understand we have to put a product out there — a winning product — and that will change,” Kingsbury told 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Bickley & Marotta. “The Steelers travel incredibly well and it was an awesome atmosphere for them, but we understand as an organization, we have to win more games and hopefully next year that won’t be the case.”
Not the Cardinals’ day pic.twitter.com/Rh8nuneo35
— Kevin Zimmerman (@KZimmermanAZ) December 9, 2019
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Cardinals players had been told that State Farm Stadium might look like Heinz Field.
The offense, as it has against other opponents in past years, was prepared to use a silent snap count if things got too loud.
“We knew Pittsburgh travels well, especially being a winter game,” said Arizona center A.Q. Shipley after the loss. “I grew up in Pittsburgh so everybody wants to get out of Pittsburgh this time of year.
“They obviously did a heck of a job traveling but we were still able to hear our cadence, we didn’t have to do any silent stuff, but it definitely makes it harder.”
Linebacker Jordan Hicks, who communicates plays to his teammates as the quarterback of the defense, heard the Steelers fans, too. He pointed out that Arizona has played well on the road this year with two of their three wins coming in hostile environments.
“It was definitely loud in the Steelers (direction),” Hicks added. “We’ve actually played our best football away. At the end of the day you can’t let that get to you.”
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